Fire Safety in Hotels, Nursing Homes, Schools, Colleges, B&Bs

A heat detector in the kitchen should be linked to the rest of the Grade D or Grade F system. Whatever system is installed, regular tests are required and records kept. The sound level should be 75Db at the bedhead. Similar systems, based on vibration units and flashing lights, are available to protect people with hearing difficulties.

One extinguisher on each floor near the stairs and a fire blanket in the kitchen should be adequate in most small premises. All extinguishers must be regularly serviced.

All guests must be aware of the fire emergency plan. This could include instructions on the back of their bedroom door and information in a welcome pack. You should tell everyone to leave the building immediately by the identified route when they hear the alarm. You should plan to phone the Fire Service from outside the premises. All escape routes must be unobstructed and have suitable linings/compartmentation. An escape route includes any rooms, corridors and stairs which lead to the final exit from the building. You should keep all doors which open on to escape routes closed, especially at night. This is very important within the kitchen. If you leave doors open, it is less likely you will escape safely, even if the room has a fire detector. Although self-closing devices are a good way to make sure doors are closed, they can impact on the appearance and affect how you use the premises. If you decide these would be unsuitable, ‘in-frame closers’ or rising-butt hinges may be acceptable alternatives. Doors need to be strong enough to hold back smoke and fire long enough to give you time to escape. Advice will be given with regard to the standard of doors required for example FD30s doors may be required with intumescent strips and cold smoke seals. For small premises, a reasonably solid timber door that fits well into its frame could possibly be adequate.

Any internal hollow ‘egg-box’-type door would not offer adequate protection and should be replaced. Exit doors, such as the front or back door, should always be easy to unlock and must not need a key to unlock from the inside. A simple Yale-type latch or thumb turn is usually adequate.

Normal light switches should be easy to find. If a fire disables the normal inside lighting, consideration must be given whether any ‘borrowed lighting’, for example from nearby street lamps, would be adequate to allow people on the premises to exit safely. Advice will be given to any emergency lighting requirements

Escape Signage may be required. In small premises the escape route and the front door are likely to be obvious, so there may not be a need for emergency exit signs. Include details of the escape route in the information pack you give to guests. You should have emergency exit directional signs showing any less obvious or more complicated escape routes. Signage requirements will be advised at the time of inspection.